V.L. Cox has done it again. The artist of the “End Hate” project, an installation of objects she manipulated as a slap-in-the-face wake-up call to the parasitic bigotry that has begun to sap the goodness out of American life, has now created “Cease,” human bones assembled in the shape of a rifle. The work is the product of several sleepless nights since the Orlando, Fla., murder of 49 people partying at a gay nightclub.

Here is what she writes on her Facebook page about the piece:

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“CEASE” – 36″ x 10″ x 6″ – Mixed Media – Authentic medical human skeletal composition. (Yes, the bones are real) This project was intense. First, I had to search out a medical skeleton from a collector for this project, and this one took me a little longer to feel comfortable with than the Klan robe as far as emotion goes. Medical or not, this was a living, breathing human being at one time, and handling these skeletal remains was difficult. I said a prayer for the individual before I began, took a deep breath, and then started assembling the bones to create a project of peace. I am also not stating any particular description on this or what it stands for, since it stands for more than one thing to me, but the name speaks for itself. I want the viewer to look deep inside themselves and come to their own conclusion of what it means to them.

Though Cox talks about interpretation, “Cease,” at its core, doesn’t require any artistic code-breaking. Guns designed for war are killing us at home. In times like these, there’s nothing wrong with being blunt.

Read more about her “Murder of Crows” exhibition in the End Hate series here.

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